New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested six individuals and shut down two illegal call centres involved in defrauding Japanese citizens through tech support scams, officials announced on Thursday.
This operation was part of the CBI’s ongoing initiative, Operation Chakra V, aimed at combating cybercrime. The agency collaborated closely with the Japan National Police Agency and Microsoft to identify the members of the syndicate and pinpoint their locations.
“This international collaboration was crucial in identifying the perpetrators and mapping the operational structure of the syndicate, ultimately leading to a successful crackdown in India,” the CBI stated in a press release.
Following the identification of the call centres, CBI teams conducted coordinated raids at 19 locations across Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. During these operations, six alleged gang members were apprehended, and two illegal call centres were dismantled.
Operation Chakra V – CBI Conducts Searches at 19 Locations; Busts Transnational Cybercrime Syndicate Targeting Japanese Citizens; 6 Operatives Arrested pic.twitter.com/yl1HrQyR0k
— Central Bureau of Investigation (India) (@CBIHeadquarters) May 29, 2025
The arrested individuals have been identified as Ashu Singh from Delhi, Kapil Ghakhar from Panipat, Rohit Maurya from Ayodhya, and Shubham Jaiswal, Vivek Raj, and Adarsh Kumar from Varanasi.
According to the CBI, the syndicate operated call centres that masqueraded as legitimate customer service operations. Victims were misled into believing that their electronic devices had been compromised, and under this false pretext, they were coerced into transferring funds to mule accounts.
The raids yielded a substantial amount of digital evidence, devices, and documents that indicate the extensive operations of the syndicate. Preliminary analyses suggest that the scam employed sophisticated social engineering techniques and technical deception to manipulate victims and extract money under false pretenses.
